The invention relates generally to apparatus for mixing and dispersing fluid based products and more specifically to an apparatus for mixing seeds, a retaining media such as paper mulch and water prior to application to soil for planting, landscaping and related purposes.
Agricultural and landscaping apparatus for applying mixtures of seed, mulch, fertilizers and water, i.e., hydroseeding apparatus, are well known. They facilitate the rapid and uniform application of a particular hydroseeding mixture. The seed may be grass or other ground cover. The mulch retains the seeds until they germinate and take root, preventing displacement by water flow from rain. The fertilizer enhances the seeds growth and the water serves the dual capacity of a dispersing medium and supporting prompt germination of the seeds.
A typical spraying apparatus includes a truck or trailer mounted tank for holding the mixture, a pump for delivering the mixture, a spray nozzle for dispersing the mixture and fluid conduits including flexible hoses for coupling the tank, pump and nozzle. Often times, such apparatus include by-pass or return lines from the spray nozzle to the tank such that a portion of the pumped fluid may be returned to the tank. Such recirculation inhibits settling of certain mixture constituents and improves the uniformity of the mixture delivered to the nozzle.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,878,617 to Finn, 3,147,922 to Warner, 3,512,713 and 3,638,862 to Carlyon, Jr. all disclose vehicle mounted agricultural apparatus for spraying mixtures of solid and liquid materials including seed, mulch, fertilizer and water having a tank, a pump, hoses and a discharge nozzle. These prior art systems are provided with valves which facilitate recirculation of a portion or all of the mixture delivered by the pump.
One of the significant problems of this general class of equipment relates to the clogging of the delivery nozzle. Inasmuch as the nozzle must represent a certain restriction in order to produce a spray which disperses the mixture over a reasonably large area, clogging of the nozzle is a common problem. I have addressed this problem in my previously issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,710, granted Feb. 9, 1988. The apparatus disclosed therein includes a pair of valves which are utilized to adjust the amount of mixture returned through two separate return lines.
A second difficulty with such apparatus is the initial preparation of the mixture. Whereas the seeds and fertilizer, if used, generally readily mix with the water in the tank, the mulch, that is, the material which forms the seed retaining medium on the soil, generally does not. A typical mulch product nowadays is a paper fiber product. Not surprisingly, the density of the product is such that it will initially float upon the surface of the water and generally resist mixing with the water. However, when clumps of paper fiber mulch have absorbed water they readily sink to the bottom of the tank and, again, resist mixing.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for ensuring that the constituents of an agricultural seeding mixture, particularly the paper fiber mulch is broken down into functionally sized flakes and fibers suitable for application to the soil and incapable of clogging the various hoses, ports and valves of the mixture dispersing apparatus. Broadly, the invention relates to an apparatus for mixing solid and fluid constituents by jet agitation and maintaining the uniformity of the mixture in the same manner.